[cmake-developers] Better Eclipse CDT support

[Alexander Neundorf]

Hi,

On Sunday 17 April 2011, Oliver Buchtala wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I like to get involved offering work on the Eclipse CDT generator.
>
> Currently, the generated project setting is not very Eclipse'ish.

There have been some changes in the 2.8.x versions. You have 2.8.4 ?

>  - one large project
>  - linear build, i.e., build failure in early sub projects stops the
> whole chain

You can change this e.g. by adding "-k" as CMAKE_ECLIPSE_MAKE_ARGUMENTS in the 
cmake cache.

>  - project overview looks like navigator on  cmake binary directory
>  - source files can be found in 'includes'

Can you please explain the two points above in more detail ?

> All in all, this is not what a developer used to CDT wants to see ;)
>
> What I want to do:
>  - generate projects for each target (like in VC generators)

Can you please explain ?
Do you want a separate build tree for each project ?
Or just separate Eclipse project files for each target ?
Are you sure people will want to import that many projects or can they be 
grouped in some way in a "superproject" ?

>  - based upon makefile generator
>
>      > eclipse cdt projects can be based upon existing makefiles (e.g.
>
> in sub-dirs)
>  - add folders:
>     * src: using eclipse linked folder pointing to source location
> (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR)
>     * cmake: eclipse linked folder pointing to CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR

We have something like this in 2.8.4. I.e. there are linked folders for each 
project(), and one linked folder for CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR.

>  - add project dependencies for correct build order
>
> Having this would make the CDT generator beeing a serious citizen on the
> cmake generators list.
>
> Q's:
> - What is your opinion?

A not-Makefile based "native" Eclipse project generator might also be an 
alternative, but requires more work. 

> - Stage access?
> - Collaborators? Author of CDT4 generator?

I'm mainly maintaining it.

Alex